Providing information, education, and training to build knowledge, develop skills, and change attitudes that will lead to increased independence, productivity, self determination, integration and inclusion (IPSII) for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

ANDERSON,
INDIANA--The trial of a former Child Protective Services caseworker who faces
neglect charges over the death of Mark A. Norris II has been rescheduled, now
that the state Supreme Court has refused to intervene in the case.

A judge on Monday set November 9 as the trial date for Mike Warrum.
Investigators say that Warrum visited the 8-year-old boy's home only once, even
though a court had ordered Mark and his siblings to be supervised.

If convicted of the felony charges, Warrum could face up to 20 years in
prison.

Warrum's attorneys had asked the state's high court to order the charges
be dismissed, on the grounds that the social worker did not have direct care of
Norris and would not have been expected to be responsible for his death. The
court denied Warrum's appeal.

Mark Norris' body was found by firefighters on January 21, 2003 after
the family's home in Elwood had been destroyed by fire. Autopsy results
confirmed that the boy, who used a wheelchair because of his cerebral palsy and
had epilepsy, died of pneumonia at least one day before the fire. Toxicology
tests found evidence that he was malnourished and had not been given
prescription medications needed to treat his seizures.

Investigators had suspected that the fire was set deliberately to cover
up Mark's death, but they have found no evidence of arson.

In January of this year, Jennifer L. Norris pleaded guilty to the charge
of criminal neglect of a dependent resulting in her son's bodily injury. She
was later sentenced to nine years in prison for neglecting to seek medical
treatment or properly care for him.

The GCDD is funded under the provisions of P.L. 106-402. The federal law also provides funding to the Minnesota Disability Law Center,the state Protection and Advocacy System, and to the Institute on Community Integration, the state University Center for Excellence. The Minnesota network of programs works to increase the IPSII of people with developmental disabilities and families into community life.